A 200 Mhz machine is incapable of realtime video encoding, as is required for something like videoconferencing. At least it is incapable of anything with good enough quality to be commercially successful. Intel also hopes to handle decoding for video playback in software in the future, to further reduce the cost of the machine. This requires a minimum of 366 Mhz, but at that speed 90% of the CPU is dedicated to the video.
Here's some interesting news about CRUS's future.
Cirrus busy changing focus
Cirrus Logic's marketing VP, George Alexy, was
in Tokyo this past week, in a marketing push by
the company "to move beyond the PC" and apply
its mixed-signal technology to integrated solutions
for emerging markets, David Lammers reports in
EE Times.
Japanese OEMs buy 18% of Cirrus output. Cirrus
is busy changing its product development focus and
designing single-chip ICs for digital still cameras,
DVD drives, and digital audio in a drive to build
these sales and make up for declining sales of PC
graphics accelerators. "The handwriting is on the
wall; PC graphics absolutely will be an
Intel-dominated domain," says Alexy. In late
March, Cirrus will unveil a DVD controller {NOTE: Not a decoder] that
incorporates PRML (partial-response,
maximum-likelihood) technology. FY98 sales
(ending Mar. 31) will run $900M, with its final
quarter "flat to down." |
